Crabbe and Goyle were stepping deeper into the investigation of Blaise Zabini’s death, venturing into unfamiliar territory—the Muggle world. It wasn’t a place they were comfortable with, but the case was leading them there, and they knew they had to follow wherever it went.

Their inquiries had brought them to a small café in central London, a place where Blaise, who had been living under the alias "Richard Norman," had frequently visited. The café wasn’t particularly remarkable, yet it felt strangely significant as they sat there, sipping their coffee and watching the people around them.

They weren’t there to see Blaise, of course—he was dead, after all—but to learn more about his life in the Muggle world. Their investigation had led them to a name: Victoria Williams. She was a stage artist and, as they had discovered, Blaise’s girlfriend at the time of his death. The connection felt too important to ignore.

When Victoria finally arrived at the café, she seemed hesitant but not entirely surprised to see them. Crabbe and Goyle had reached out to her earlier, asking if she would be willing to talk. She had agreed, though they could sense her unease.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Miss Williams," Gregory began, trying to keep his tone gentle but firm.

Victoria sat down across from them, folding her hands on the table. "You said you wanted to talk about Richard?"

"Yes," Vincent replied. "We know him as Blaise Zabini, but you knew him as Richard Norman. We’re looking into his death, and we need to understand more about his life here."

Victoria’s face softened slightly at the mention of Blaise’s alias. "Richard was... different. He was kind to me, but he was always so distant, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders."

Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a glance, sensing that there was more to the story. They didn’t press her, though. They knew better than to come on too strong.

"Miss Williams ," Vincent said carefully, "we’re trying to piece together what happened. We need to know if there was anyone who might have had a reason to harm him."

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "There was someone. My ex-boyfriend, James Cook. He was... possessive. Dangerous, even. When I broke up with him and started seeing Richard, James didn’t take it well. He made threats—said he’d make us both pay."

Gregory nodded, his expression serious. "Did Richard—Blaise—ever talk about James? Did he seem worried about him?"

Victoria shook her head. "Richard never talked much about anything personal, but I could tell he was wary. He didn’t trust easily. I think he knew James might be a problem, but he never said anything outright."

The pieces were starting to come together in Crabbe and Goyle’s minds. James Cook—a possessive ex-boyfriend with a violent streak—seemed like a strong suspect. It wasn’t some shadowy figure from Blaise’s past in the wizarding world that had caught up with him; it was a very real, very dangerous person from his life as Richard Norman.

"Do you know where we can find James?" Vincent asked.

Victoria hesitated again, then gave them an address. "He lives in the East End. But be careful. He’s not someone you want to mess with."

"Thank you," Gregory said. "We’ll be careful."

As they left the café, Crabbe and Goyle didn’t feel the need to run back to their superiors just yet. This lead was theirs to follow, and they were determined to see it through. They would find James Cook and see where this path led them. The investigation had taken a new turn, and they were ready to face whatever came next.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

For now, they had a name, a location, and a direction. And, as they walked through the bustling streets of London, they knew that they were one step closer to finding out the truth behind Blaise Zabini’s death.

Crabbe and Goyle sat in the café long after Victoria had left, their minds churning with possibilities. The conversation they’d just had with Victoria Williams lingered in the air, each detail sparking a new theory, a new twist to the puzzle that was Blaise Zabini’s death.

Vincent, swirling the remnants of his coffee in the cup, broke the silence first. “Do you trust her?”

Gregory leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. She seems genuine enough, but there’s something about this whole thing that feels... off.”

Vincent nodded in agreement, his brows furrowing. “Exactly. What if she’s not who she says she is? I mean, think about it—what if she’s not just a Muggle? What if she’s a Muggle-born? Maybe her family had some connection to Blaise... or maybe they were victims of something he did during the war.”

The idea hung in the air between them, unspoken but understood. They both knew Blaise Zabini’s history—or at least, the history he’d kept hidden from the Muggle world. As a Death Eater, Blaise had been involved in some dark, dangerous things. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that someone from that world had tracked him down, seeking revenge.

“What if Victoria tracked him down on purpose?” Gregory continued, his voice low, almost conspiratorial. “She could have found out who he really was, seduced him, and then... I don’t know, maybe she’s the one who killed him. Or maybe she’s working with someone else.”

Vincent’s eyes narrowed as he considered the idea. “Her ex-boyfriend, James Cook. What if he’s not just a jealous Muggle ex? What if he’s a wizard too? Or maybe he’s in on it, helping her get revenge for whatever Blaise did to her family.”

They both fell silent, lost in their thoughts, their minds racing with possibilities. It wasn’t unusual for them to spin out elaborate conspiracy theories—after all, they were Aurors. And while some of their ideas might seem far-fetched, they’d learned that in their line of work, it was always better to consider every angle, no matter how improbable.

Gregory leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper even though no one was around to overhear them. “Think about it. Why would a Death Eater like Blaise be dating a Muggle in the first place? It doesn’t make sense. He’s been hiding out in the Muggle world, pretending to be someone else, but why? What if it’s because he fell in love with a Muggle? What if that’s why he ran from the other Death Eaters?”

Vincent nodded slowly, following the line of thought. “And if the other Death Eaters found out, they wouldn’t just let that slide. They’d see it as a betrayal. Maybe they hunted him down and killed him because of it.”

“Exactly,” Gregory agreed. “We can’t ignore the possibility that his death might have been connected to his past as a Death Eater. Maybe Victoria is innocent, but maybe she’s not. Maybe she’s part of something bigger that we’re just starting to uncover.”

They both sat back in their chairs, the weight of their speculation settling heavily on their shoulders. The more they talked, the more they realized that they couldn’t take anything at face value. Every detail, every lead, had to be scrutinized, analyzed, and questioned. It was the only way they could get to the truth.

“Alright,” Vincent said finally, setting his cup down with a determined thud. “We need to investigate this harder. We can’t leave any stone unturned. If there’s even a chance that Victoria or her ex-boyfriend is involved, we have to find out.”

Gregory nodded in agreement. “Agreed. We’ll dig into James Cook’s background first, see if there’s anything suspicious there. And we’ll keep an eye on Victoria too, just in case.”

They paid for their coffee and left the café, their minds still buzzing with theories and questions. The streets of London were bustling with Muggles going about their daily lives, completely unaware of the dark undercurrents flowing just beneath the surface. As they walked, Crabbe and Goyle couldn’t help but feel a sense of determination. This case was more than just another job—it was a chance to prove themselves, to show that they were more than just the clowns of the Auror office.

They made their way back to the Ministry, their footsteps echoing with purpose. As they entered the Auror department, they were greeted with curious glances from their colleagues, some of whom still found it hard to believe that Crabbe and Goyle had uncovered such significant details in the Zabini case. But the old hands, the ones who had fought alongside them in the war, gave them respectful nods. They knew better than to underestimate anyone who had survived the horrors of Voldemort’s reign.

Gregory and Vincent headed straight for their desks, already planning their next moves. They would need to pull records on James Cook, see if there was any magical activity around him, and perhaps pay him a visit. They also needed to discreetly keep tabs on Victoria without tipping her off. It was a delicate balance—they couldn’t afford to scare her into hiding if she was innocent, but they also couldn’t risk letting a potential suspect slip through their fingers.

As they settled into their work, Vincent glanced over at Gregory. “You know, this whole thing is starting to feel like one of those novels Susan used to read.”

Gregory smirked. “Yeah, except we’re not exactly the heroic detectives in those stories, are we?”

Vincent chuckled. “Maybe not. But we’re getting the job done. That’s what matters.”

They worked in silence for a while, their focus entirely on the task at hand. The more they delved into the details, the more they realized just how complex this case was. Blaise Zabini’s death was no simple murder—it was tangled in layers of secrets, lies, and old grudges that spanned both the wizarding and Muggle worlds.

By the time they finally left the office that evening, their heads were spinning with new information and even more questions. But despite the challenges ahead, they felt a renewed sense of determination. They were onto something big, something that went far beyond what anyone had initially thought. And for the first time in a long while, they felt like they were truly making a difference.

As they parted ways for the night, Gregory turned to Vincent with a thoughtful expression. “You know, Vince, maybe we’re not the clowns everyone thinks we are.”

Vincent grinned. “No, Greg, we’re definitely not. We’re just getting started.”

And with that, they headed home, ready to face whatever new twists and turns the next day would bring in their search for the truth behind Blaise Zabini’s death.